Applying to TX Dental Schools OOS

[wannabeadentistbaby]

Hey everyone!

I really want to attend dental school in Texas. I am from Louisiana, but my dad grew up in Texas and completed his medical school and residency training in Houston. He moved to Louisiana to practice medicine, and I do not want to follow in his path lol. I have spent alot of time in TX if this means anything - grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins still live there. I attended ExploreUTSD this spring and fell in love with the school and its sense of community. I have since followed up current students and Dr. Spears to share my interest in the school. How could I prove my desire to practice in Texas after graduation and familial ties to the state in my application?

GPA: 3.5
sGPA: 3.5
250+ shadowing hours (including 40 with a UTSD grad)
400+ volunteer hours
EC: D1 athlete, sorority executive board, pre-dental society president, etc.
DAT: N/A

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[sobertiger]

You probably know this already but it is nearly impossible to get into TX schools as an OOS applicant, even with stellar stats. Even TX residents have a hard time getting in.. Houston's especially notorious for not accepting OOS applicants.

If you must go to a Texan school, I'd advise you to become a resident first. Maybe move in with your relatives?

 

[rectangle]

I would write about it in your essays! You can also put Explore UTSD under dental related extracurrics on your TMDSAS app

 

[futuredmdblue]

I would forfeit that dream. Texas schools are nearly impossible to get into if you’re not already a resident. Your cGPA is OK but it’s not eye catching. Volunteer hours look good but I would think you’d have a hard time even getting an interview with those stats. Apply to private schools and your in state schools but you should have a really strong personal statement. Your GPA is the average of what’s accepted at most which makes it a long uphill climb. Work on strengthening your app during the cycle and update your schools with your hours and additional work you’ve been doing. But it would be a waste of money to apply to Texas schools.


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[SaberToothTigre]

I think it’s worth it to apply! I had a couple OOS students in my TX dental class. I also was a student interviewer and we definitely interview OOS students. It’s worth a shot, just make it clear in your personal statement and interview that you plan to practice here. We usually ask OOS students if they have any family ties here, which is a plus. It’s an uphill battle, but certainly possible. You’ll never know if you’ll get an interview if you don’t try. TX dental schools are fantastic!

 

[rectangle]

I support applying to TX schools just bc it's 'cheap' to apply to a TX schools, and I wouldn't want any regrets about not applying later down the road. At my Houston interview, someone was from out of state but had a lot of family in Houston (but I didn't ask their stats lol). Your GPA isn't up there to warrant them giving an OOS an acceptance compared to an IS applicant (most likely), but then again, we don't know your DAT score.

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

At one of my Texas interviews they said the OOS average accepted student had a 3.88 and 24. Get residency here before applying. Even with residency you have below average GPA for the Texas schools so you need to get a 22+ DAT.

 

[Lemillion]

Recent UTSD grad (within the last 5 years) here. It is true that it is hard to get into Texas when considered OOS. If I remember correctly, the school gets funding from the state to ensure that over 95% of the class is in-state. My entering class had 101 students and 1 was OOS (Idaho). That being said, it doesn't hurt to apply because you never truly know how it could turn out. There are a variety of factors that come into play when making a final decision. My class had a wide range of students: (2nd career, fresh college grads, legacies, PhDs, etc.)

To answer your question: "How could I prove my desire to practice in Texas after graduation and familial ties to the state in my application?"
-You could write about your time spent in Texas as part of your personal statement.
-Try to visit the dental school for one day and follow the 1st year class.
-Ask to meet w/ Dr. Spears and talk about where you're at. (He is very nice and reasonable).
-Get a rec letter from a UTSD grad (either recent or from long time ago is fine. This can be very helpful since the reviewer may personally know the dentist that wrote it).

Good luck!